Kamal Kharrazi: Arrest of Former Iranian Diplomat in Britain Will Harm Bilateral Relations

Kamal Kharrazi, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated that the arrest of a former Iranian diplomat in Britain will damage bilateral relations between the two countries (Iran and Britain). According to the IRNA news agency, on Sunday, Mr. Kharrazi, in a phone call with Jack Straw, the British Foreign Secretary, called for the immediate release of Hadi Soleimanpour, a former Iranian ambassador to Argentina. Last Thursday, British police arrested Mr. Soleimanpour at his home in Durham based on an international arrest warrant. The Argentine government has accused the former Iranian ambassador in that country of involvement in the bombing on July 18, 1994, which occurred at a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, resulting in the deaths of 85 people. The Iranian government has denied any connection to this incident and claims that Mr. Soleimanpour is completely innocent. The Iranian government has lodged a protest with the British government and has cut economic and cultural ties with Buenos Aires. Additionally, Mr. Khatami has demanded an apology from the British government.